The embodiments herein relate generally to firearm components.
Prior to embodiments of the disclosed invention, a hammer in a model 1911 pistol was formed as shown in FIG. 2B, FIG. 2D, FIG. 4, FIG. 6, and FIG. 8.
Firearm F comprises slide S which houses firing pin X and is mechanically coupled to rear sight R. Firing pin X is mechanically coupled to firing pin retainer E. Firing pin X travels along axis Sx rendering force Sf onto firing pin retainer E.
Hammer 1 comprised cam 2 formed around a hammer pin axis. Cam 2 is immediately adjacent to strut T. Cam 2 is further immediately adjacent to rear portion 3. Rear portion 3 is immediately adjacent to spur 4. Spur 4 is immediately adjacent to head 5. Head 5 is immediately adjacent to substantially flat front face 6.
Turning to FIG. 2B, substantially flat front face 6 causes an initial point of contact against firing pin retainer E to be a load force substantially distributed upon substantially flat front face 6 resulting in small moment arm 1M. Likewise, small moment arm 1M shrinks slightly as firing pin retainer E moves along axis Xa. The result is that is substantial initial force Sf is required to cock hammer 1.
This prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 8,132,350 issued to Alves; U.S. Pat. No. 6,016,619 issued to Casull; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,460,282 issued to Bustos. Bustos and Casull are good examples of the prior art. Casull uses a substantially flat leading edge and Bustos uses a convex leading edge which have smaller moment arms and a smaller contact surface area than embodiments of the present invention. Alves is closer, using a concave leading edge, but Alves is configured for a Winchester model rifle that could accommodate a spring loaded firing pin with a point source. The present invention is concerned with a 1911 model pistol which cannot accommodate such a firing pin, as such the hammer described in Alves would be inoperable. Further, Alves offers no theory of increasing the moment arm on the firing pin as in the present invention.